PDA

View Full Version : Branding your Business


Matt
30-03-2008, 22:20
Kent, the Gateway to Europe, is known for its lovely beaches, amazing castles, and breathtaking scenery. Isn’t that an amazing image to picture? The images of Kent we picture in our heads are the brand we have for it. A brand is what makes something recognizable and memorable to people.

Imagine if you could make your Kent business as recognizable as the images we associate of this area. Burning that sensational image of your company into your client’s and customer’s minds is not a difficult process at all. In fact, all it may require is a simple design.

It is important for those that run a professional company that they maintain their status with an identifiable, unique logo. A logo is one of the first things many customers remember about specific companies they have worked with or purchased from before. To many of them, it becomes a sign of status. Your logo can become what shapes and forms your company to greatness. Many businesses, several located within Kent, run without a professionally designed logo, replacing it with text, or a “cookie-cutter” logo. Failing to brand your company with a logo early can cause your customers to forget very quickly what your company is or what they do. Those that provide an image to its customers are setting themselves up for success.

With a professionally designed logo, you will want to be branding your company and its image over as much property as you can. While you may have your logo branded on the sign outside of your company’s shop or office, there are many more ways you can get branded into the heads of other Kent citizens, the UK population, as well as around the world.

As a business owner, you will want to carry around business cards. Your business cards will feature your personal contact information, your business name, and somewhere on it, you can integrate your professional business logo. Spreading these out to new clients and customers you meet means you are helping to brand your design and with that, the name of your company and what it does. On top of this, you can create custom letterheads and stationery that can be used for any business mail you might end up writing. You can mail this branded paper to other important businesses and customers. You are bringing your name and logo into the home and offices of partners and competitors to help spread your name even further.

Want to really get your businesses name out? The Internet, used by billions of people from every stretch of the world, is the wave of the future. Setting your business online can set your sales on fire. However, users are picky, and when they see a poorly designed logo and website, they get disinterested and may assume you aren’t as professional as you really are. With that perfect balance of design and brand, you might be selling products halfway around the world.

A picture is worth a thousand words, so your logo is really telling people a lot about your business. Is your image telling them you don’t care much about your product or service, or is it telling them your business is absolutely amazing?

A logo is a person’s first view of what your company is all about, so astound them with an amazing brand-able image and send it out in several different formats.

Andrew C
19-07-2008, 10:08
Good article Matt. When's the next one coming?

Matt
19-07-2008, 11:36
Very soon Andrew. :)

Kaz
19-07-2008, 21:12
I think there's a lot of truth in this article.

When I first set up my website it was a little rough around the edges, and didn't get many hits. Since I've redesigned it and incorporated the logo into the theme/colour scheme it looks much more professional and has had so much traffic that it now needs a dedicated server!!

willyable
04-08-2008, 13:38
A logo is very important when it comes to your business, I have been looking for a great logo for my business for a long time. I didn't know that it would cost as much as it does to get it done up but it has to be worth it.

Matt
04-08-2008, 14:56
I sometimes find logo and brand design companies a bit OTT. You can end up paying a whole heap of cash for a simple creation.

Do you have any friends who are handy with photoshop? If not then a good tip is to do a rough drawing of something you like and then hold a design competition.

I would recommend giving http://99designs.com a try before you pay out for a pro company.

Matt

DianaR
23-08-2008, 17:58
A logo is very important but I would be careful about paying for one.

you can design your own and have the same success for a fraction of the cost. Consistency in associating your image with your company's name is more important than having the most expensive image you can buy.

steveh
03-10-2008, 09:21
Diana - I really wouldnt 'do your own' unless you really understand design. I can hold a spade but I'm no gardener, I can run (just) but wont be in the olympics. The point is that there is so much communicated about the business that you cant put into words that a good logo - which is the face fo your business - is more important than most things you do.
I agree with Matt that you dont need to spend lots - 99designs can be good but be aware most of the deisgners will produce stuff that 'looks' american.

Tim Tin Productions
03-10-2008, 11:33
Very good advice steveh. I think people can underestimate the power of a logo. That's why some of the big boys spend huge amounts giving their logos a re-vamp.

http://www.logodesignlove.com/10-successful-logo-redesigns

Tom
07-10-2008, 08:53
Some of those designs changes are very subtle but make a huge difference. Just goes to show the piont steveh made about how much is communicated through a logo.